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Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork

Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork features tender shreds of pork infused with hickory smoke and a bright, peppery vinegar kick. The balance of mild and hot paprika in the rub deepens the flavor while the tangy sauce keeps each bite lively. It’s ideal for weekend cookouts, game days, or any time you want classic barbecue with a sharp, clean finish.

  • Prep1 hr
  • Cook6 hrs
  • Serves10
  • DifficultyHard
Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

35 Health Score
Glycemic Impact
41 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
5 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityFair
53 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
1 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

28
Heart Health
30
Metabolic
19
Digestive
25
Inflammatory
38
Performance
30
General Wellness
  1. 1

    In a small bowl, combine mild paprika, light brown sugar, hot paprika, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard, ground black pepper, onion powder, and salt. Rub the spice mixture over the roast on all sides. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

  2. 2

    Prepare a grill for indirect heat.

  3. 3

    Scatter a handful of soaked wood over the coals, or place it in the smoker box of a gas grill. Set the pork butt roast on the grate over a drip pan. Cover the grill and cook the pork until it is tender and shreds easily, about 6 hours. Check every hour, adding fresh coals and hickory chips as needed to maintain heat and smoke.

  4. 4

    Remove the pork from the heat and transfer it to a cutting board. Let the meat cool for approximately 15 minutes, then shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks. This takes patience.

  5. 5

    In a medium bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and white pepper. Continue whisking until the brown sugar and salt dissolve.

  6. 6

    Place the shredded pork and vinegar sauce in a large roasting pan and stir to coat the pork. Serve immediately, or cover and keep warm on the grill for up to 1 hour until serving.

About This Recipe

Carolina Vinegar Style Smoked Pulled Pork is made with 15 ingredients and serves 10. It takes about 7 hrs and is rated hard. Key ingredients include Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Pepper, Brown Sugar, and Celery Salt. Each serving provides about 895.16 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork made of?
The main ingredients are Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Pepper, Brown Sugar, Celery Salt, Dry Mustard. The full list of 15 is above.
How long does it take to make Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork?
About 7 hrs in total: 1 hr to prepare and 6 hrs to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 895.16 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork easy to make?
This recipe is rated hard, with 15 ingredients and 6 steps.
Is Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork healthy?
Carolina Vinegar-Style Smoked Pulled Pork has an easyChef Pro health score of 35/100. Per serving, it provides 895.16 calories and 46.0 g of protein, or 92% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of iron. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 270.4 mg (12% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 34.85 g (174% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 4.58 g (9% of the Daily Value). It contains Mustard, Celery, Tomatoes, Garlic and Onions, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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